


it's natural to be afraid

by mosaicos



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, domesticity..., kinda subtle crossovers???, no one will get it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 03:09:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4418816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mosaicos/pseuds/mosaicos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The hot, summer sun glared down upon them. They had parked the rented van into the driveway and were making quick work of stacking the boxes inside the ground floor. Now and then they would get the friendly visit from the neighbourhood tomcat, orange markings and yellow eyes, trotting beside them as they walked. They even got to meet one of their new neighbours—a lovely girl a few years older than them with beautiful, brown eyes, summer in her step, and two glasses of cool lemonade as her welcome gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's natural to be afraid

**Author's Note:**

> a something for makorin moving in together and now i'm stuck in a mudpit of regret

“Hey. Look at me. You’re _absolutely_ sure about this. Right?”

The response was laughter, cracking over the terrible internet connection he had to put up with in the crowded library. The images on the video paused and took a while to catch up with movement, the framerate dropping at—seemingly—the most important parts of the conversation.

But Rin couldn’t keep himself from smiling when he saw Makoto smiling back at him, a sleepy look on his face.

“I am. I’ve told you already… I really like the programme for my internship, and my advisor has already written a recommendation letter for me. I’m pretty much already in the list of interns for the coming school year.”

“—and your last year of higher education. How does _that_ feel?”

“ _Great_. Don’t change the subject, though! The commune is really far from my current apartment, and you’re going to have to need a place to stay in Tokyo soon, too! _Rin_ , let’s do it.”

The pause on Rin’s end is not because he is unsure. Ever since his father’s death, he had been used to transitional spaces; new rooms, new houses, different hotel rooms, dormitories—never quite stopping in one place for too long. So far in his three years of training in Australia, Rin had changed dorms five times. Not out of general problems that may have risen with his roommates, but because of an inherent need to capitalise on new places and distances to benefit his studies and his training.

He was up for one big move again, now that he was going to start training with Tokyo’s swim team.

“Rin?”

He really did need a place in Tokyo, and the idea that he and Makoto had hesitantly started talking about a few weeks ago seems now like the most promising option. This would be his most important move yet, and it was one that he wanted to get right.

“I’m already getting a headache out of this,” the planning, the budgeting, the packing and the moving, “but, what the hell—let’s do it.”

Despite the crowded library he was at and the buzzing that Makoto kept constantly complaining about (“look, I can’t do anything about that, maybe there’s crickets in your room?”), Rin kept focus on his boyfriend’s eyes and felt a calming reassurance, now that they were one step closer to making this reality happen.

***

Makoto stretches as soon as he sat up in bed, feeling the strain on his shoulders from yesterday’s rigorous training at the gym. It wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, but it was enough to make him feel all put out and ready for his rest day. His room isn’t too small, but with the distribution of furniture as is, he makes a rather easy grab for his laptop on his desk without having to completely get out of bed (though, boy, he probably should have stretched his legs first).

The incoming Skype video chat finds him still wincing, an excitable Rin at the other end of the call.

“Hey! About time! I’ve sent you an Excel file to your email, as well as some PDF ones of available apartments. The deposit is _insane_ —”

“Good morning to you too, Rin,” Makoto was quick to click and tap into his inbox, skimming through his emails and going straight for the ones he had been warned about. The Excel file opened to a colour coded spreadsheet with calculations for monthly and yearly expenses, distance calculations, and benefits for each and every one location on the other attached files. It was a little too much for Makoto’s early morning routine (regardless of it being close to 10AM).

Rin looks expectantly with a big grin on his face, which he manages to strip into a bashful one. “Sorry. I’m all packed up already and I’m gonna have to run to the airport soon, so we’ll be out of touch for a while. You’ll check on those, right?” 

“Here I was thinking you wanted to get to say good bye before leaving...”

“Geez! Knock it off!” there’s laughter in Rin’s voice, as he adjusts his bangs using the video of himself on the screen. “I wanted to see you too, but someone woke up late, it looks like. So we’re going to have to make it quick!”

Makoto liked how excited and energetic Rin was once his adrenaline started pumping. Rin really did like travelling, and getting on a plane was as exciting as the first time. The smile he offered was soft, grounding Rin momentarily. 

“I’ll text you right before I board the plane, and when I land in Iwatobi.”

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to come directly to Tokyo?”

“Yeah, but,” Rin waves his hand about, as if dismissing the issue, “gotta see my mother. I’ll drop by your parents’ in case they want to send anything to you.”

“And in the meantime I’ll scout out some of these places.”

The grin on Rin’s face shoots up the level of energy surely boiling inside him, and is enough to make Makoto feel more awake than before, feeling energised and ready for the day.

“That’s my boy.”

***

As luck has it, Makoto understands exactly _nothing_ of how to work the Excel spreadsheet Rin has sent him. He knows the basics, but whatever calculations Rin has worked out don’t make much sense to Makoto. He makes, thus, the early decision to let it be and focus instead on finding the directions for the places up for rent. The deposit on some of them was exorbitant, and the rent seemed quite a bit out of his budget, but if set for two to share the costs, it wasn’t that bad at all.

There’s a number at the end of most advertisements, and Makoto tries his luck by dialing them. The first one—for the nice apartment in the middle of the city—results in voicemail (and Makoto deliberately hanging up without leaving a message, not quite sure on what to say). He’s a bit more lucky on the second one, but is quickly shot down by the place already being rented out and the ad being an old one that needs to be removed from the site. However, the lady on the line gives him another phone number of a real estate agent that is working the streets right now.

With fingers crossed, Makoto makes the call, sitting on his chair, hunched over the table, nervously spinning the notepad he’s been using in small circles.

The call connects.

“Good morning! I was given this number by Morino-san, who said I might be able to get some assistance from you in finding an apartment.”

His greeting is strong, so he feels confident. At the request for his name, Tachibana Makoto, there’s a stutter on the line.

“ _You don’t mean—Tachibana Kazuo-san’s son, Makoto-kun?_ ”

Makoto perks up at that.

“Sorry, you know my dad?”

“ _Ah! I thought it had to be! Such a name, and for a boy nonetheless, it’s hard to forget! This is Yasu-san, from your father’s old job at the law firm! Do you remember? Hm, last time I was in Iwatobi you must have been around eight. Still swimming?_ ”

Makoto had no idea who this person was, if he had to be honest, but these facts were actually adding up in an uncanny, suspicious way. It was hard to get many words in, as the man kept bombarding him with questions he didn’t seem to expect an answer for and anecdotes of when he was a kid.

“ _And your mother? Oh, she did have the twins after all, didn’t she? A lovely pair, I’m sure, I’m sure. Say! Makoto-kun, give me your phone number and I’ll give you a call at around five. If you need a place to rent, I’ll look around for the best offers. Anything for an old friend! Or, an old friend’s kid, in this case._ ”

Slightly overwhelmed, Makoto repeated his phone number at least thrice and offered a brief description of the type of apartment he was looking for, and hung up with the promise of getting a lot more help for his troubles of finding a new place to live in. He kept staring at his phone for a long while, absolutely bemused from the exchange, before making a call to his parents.

***

Tokyo found Makoto and Rin walking together, just about stepping out of the train station in a neighbourhood Makoto wasn’t entirely familiar with. Rin picked up a free newspaper at a stand and returned to Makoto’s side, who kept looking at his phone and then around him.

“You sure this guy is completely legit?”

“I called my parents, and my dad remembered a Yasu-san from before. They got in contact with him too, and they were completely sure it was their friend from before.”

“And he conveniently owes your family a favour. Are you sure your mother isn’t into some underground business?”

The jab was playful, Rin pressing into Makoto’s personal space and elbowing his boyfriend to loosen up.

“Yeah! Underground baking business, maybe…” 

“You’ve never seen Orphan Black? Housewives are _hardcore_.”

“I don’t wanna understand what you’ve learned in Australia…” though Makoto relents, looking up from his phone and giving his boyfriend a small smile. He doesn’t feel too comfortable in a place he isn’t familiar with, and Yasu-san had told them to wait by the entrance of the metro station. They were facing a street crossing; a park was spread out after it, and a few small cafes were across from them. People went by in bikes, too, and the idea of the place being so peaceful encouraged Makoto. “He said he would meet us here at 1:30. I guess we’re early?”

Rin shrugged his shoulders and instead opened up the newspaper, scanning through the pages for an interesting article.

“He’ll show up.”

And good to his promise, and Rin’s premonition, Yasu-san came towards them on his bicycle. He was older than his dad, but now that Makoto finally laid eyes on him he felt like he was looking at a past memory.

“Yasu-san! It’s good to meet you!”

“You too, Makoto-kun! My, how have you grown! This must be the Rin-kun your mother spoke about.”

Makoto fretted for a moment, worried that the realisation that ‘Rin’ wasn’t a cute girl he was going to move in with, but rather a _guy_ , was going to cause some sort of strange reaction on the older man. Instead of making an issue out of it, Rin smoothly went with it.

“Yo. Thanks for helping us out.”

“Anything to help an old friend, as I’ve said. Sorry that this will be a rather rushed tour,” Rin eyed Makoto with a confused expression, raising an eyebrow, “as I’m on my one hour break. But if we’re fast enough we should be able to look at the three apartments we previously corresponded on.” 

“It won’t be a problem, Yasu-san! We’re really grateful that you’re taking time at all to help us out.”

“And especially on your lunch break. We’re like outlaws of the real estate market.”

It was clear that Rin was still suffering from jetlag, two days after his arrival to Japan. Yasu-san simply shot an amused look between the two. 

“I think we’ll find you something.”

***

The first place they went into was a house that was renting two bedrooms on the upstairs floor. The place was furnished with a kitchen and a bathroom connected to the hallway between both rooms, to allow for privacy excluded from the tenants living downstairs.

Rin immediately scoffed. 

While the place seemed alright in the pictures, the walls felt damp under his fingers, and it really wasn’t as spacious as it was shown to be. He also wasn’t too sure about living above a family of three. That much was for university students on their first year who didn’t have much of a choice in what place to board up in. 

“This isn’t really our style.”

That, and the doorways were too low. Makoto bumped his head when trying to get inside a room, and narrowly missed bumping against the doorway a second time when exiting it. The rent was extremely cheap compared to other places, and his hesitation came mostly from not being able to share the same bedroom as Rin. He had a feeling that kind of thing wouldn’t really go well with the family.

“We… would like more privacy, I think. Have a place of our own…”

A knowing nod, and Yasu-san was quick to guide them to their second location.

***

The eighth floor on an apartment complex compound. There were many security locks to get to the elevator, and the outside hallways were kind of narrow. Rin supposed this much was to be expected with the amount of money they were willing to spend. It wasn’t that bad, however; it faced a large park, and from up here Rin could spot an area with weights and a jogging track. It wouldn’t be too inconvenient at all.

That is, if the place didn’t stink.

Rin made the smart move of walking in after Makoto, for his immediate reaction was to press his face onto his boyfriend’s broad back and breathe through his mouth. _What the hell was that smell?_

“This place hasn’t been occupied in a while, I’m afraid…”

Makoto was busy wondering if a crime had been committed here—considering the state of the wallpaper falling off and the mould on the ceiling, along with the rust coloured spots on the floor’s plastic tiles—and several instances of ghost stories came to his mind. He started to feel faint and grabbed onto Rin’s jeans on instinct, while the other was still pressed close behind him.

Yasu-san opened the window at the far end of the corridor, but that did nothing to alleviate the tension the two felt.

“I-It’s within our budget, Rin…”

“And we’ll be living alone. With _ghosts_.”

“We can— _fix_ it…?”

“ _Hell no_.”

They walked out the door before Yasu-san could show them around the kitchen.

***

Another ride on the metro and a brisk five minute walk later finds Rin and Makoto standing before their last option for the day. The sun is shining brightly, painting the pavement in a light yellow shade. Makoto has a good feeling about this one, as Yasu-san opens up the door to the inside; there’s dandelions and grass growing between the pavement bricks and on the cracks against the building’s walls, and there’s even a friendly orange cat rolling on the ground nearby. Rin is thinking about how wonderfully close it is to the metro station and at the extremely convenient indoor storage area beside the ground floor entrance.

Makoto looks at Rin at the same time that Rin looks up at him, and they both smile. Perhaps third time is the charm, after all.

The door opens to a series of steps and no elevator—that much can be forgiven.

Yasu-san explains, as he goes up the stairs before them (the place cool despite how warm it is outside), that small families and young couples live here. The place has recently come up in the market and is quite a gem in the rough; there’s a total of four floors, the 1st through the 3rd containing two apartments each, and the 4th floor being right on the roof. The stairs didn’t stop at a landing when they reached the 4th floor, but opened instead onto a small, narrow balcony that led to a front door. 

Inside, was the apartment that Rin and Makoto were definitely looking for.

It was small—smaller than the previous ones, but it was good enough. It had one single hallway connecting four rooms to the left side of the apartment. The first, a bedroom; the second, the bathroom; the third a storage space with a washing machine; and the last, straight down the hall, a rather spacious living area connected with the kitchen. A fridge was already there, tall as Makoto, but it was the wide window spread across the whole outer wall that sold the place for Rin. He could already imagine willowing curtains when they opened the windows, looking out at the river that was beautifully settled right outside. The apartment was incredibly bare, and the walls were dirty and needed an extra coat of paint, but with a little bit of time and a little bit of organising and decorating, the place would be fantastic. 

A starting point for their budding relationship and for the time they would start spending together as a couple. 

Makoto only needed one look from Rin, turning back to look at him with a most contented smile, and he knew the place was the right one. He knew it, from the dandelions growing in the cracks outside, from the friendly cat, from the cool temperature at the stairs.

“Yasu-san,” gentle and quiet, full of emotion and brimming hopes, Makoto’s eyes still turning as he looked the place over. “We’ll take this one.”

***

Two weeks after signing the contract, and after Makoto’s current lease ended for the month, they rented a van to put their packed belongings inside. They didn’t really have any furniture to call their own, but for a few chairs and Makoto’s mattress, but they decided they would put together their finances to buy what furniture they needed later on—and then get a bigger mattress. For now, they would take comfort in having most of their belongings in.

That is, if they could.

The difficult part about moving in was getting all their things up the stairs and through the sharp corners brought upon them by the fourth floor’s balcony. 

The hot, summer sun glared down upon them. They had parked the rented van into the driveway and were making quick work of stacking the boxes inside the ground floor. Now and then they would get the friendly visit from the neighbourhood tomcat, orange markings and yellow eyes, trotting beside them as they walked. They even got to meet one of their new neighbours—a lovely girl a few years older than them with beautiful, brown eyes, summer in her step, and two glasses of cool lemonade as her welcome gift. 

Rin drinks while standing up under the back door of the van, while Makoto sits beside Akane, paving their way into a good neighbourly relationship with conversation. He learns three important things: Makoto is incredibly good with girls, Akane is no threat because she has a boyfriend—who is a cop—and she’s currently pregnant. 

“It’s so great to have such nice people move in as neighbours!”

“We’re really glad we got the place before anyone else. The neighbourhood seems great, and the apartment is very conveniently centric. We haven’t really met anyone other than you, but I think we’ll be very happy here.”

“That’s what Ryouma and I first thought. You guys should come over for dinner tonight, if you like? Unless you’re too tired after unpacking all day—however works best for you. Are you both working?”

Cicadas buzzed around them, and Rin looks down at his feet to find the tomcat rubbing its head against his trainers. He gets on his haunches to tickle its tummy.

“I’m starting my internship as a teacher nearby. Rin’s going to be training with the national swim team here in Tokyo. We’re still getting financial help from our parents…” Makoto plays with his now empty glass, looking down at the cat a bit embarrassed, and taking in the sight of his boyfriend being cute.

Akane doesn’t show any judgement in her words, however, as she dismisses the thought. “I’m studying still, too, and I’m afraid Ryouma is the only one getting paid. I can’t wait for you two to meet him. —that is to say, being a teacher and swimming in the national team? That’s really impressive! Besides, it’s really clever for two friends to room up and share expenses.”

Rin spares her a look, brushing his hair behind an ear, and, as he hands back the proffered glass of lemonade, he announces that he’s going to continue stacking boxes inside. Makoto laughs nervously, saying he’ll join him soon, his eyes lingering on the retreating form of the redhead, whose arms strain with the weight of a box labelled ‘books.’

Brown eyes widen, an “oh” escapes her, and Akane hides her surprise behind a giggle. She squeezes Makoto’s arm comfortingly.

“It’s still a really clever idea to move in together. It’ll be really exciting, for you both. Remember I’m on 3A, so come by any time if you need anything, Makoto-kun.”

And Makoto realises, that living in an apartment building with other young people means that they’re likely to be more open-minded. 

“Thank you, Akane-chan.”

He thinks he and Rin will be happy here.

***

Working together, it doesn’t take them long to unload their van. The real challenge starts now as they try to figure out the better logistics in taking all their things up the stairs to the fourth floor. Rin mulls over this, keeping the door open for Makoto who is bringing the last couple of boxes inside. Red eyes follow the movement from Makoto’s shoulders down his back, to his jeans hanging low on his waist; sweat hangs onto Makoto’s shirt, who keep stubbornly choosing to wear cotton during hot days like this one.

Rin cannot resist, then, to put a hand over Makoto’s lower back and his fingers through one of the jeans loops, pulling up the trousers easily.

Unsurprisingly, Makoto turns to look over at him in embarrassment and surprise. The only thing that greets him is Rin’s mean grin.

“You honestly think I don’t know what games you’re playing, Tachibana? No belt? Sounds too convenient.”

He moves in close, like he wants to kiss the embarrassment out of Makoto’s face, but finds himself being stopped by Makoto’s hands. A glance up the stairs shows two older ladies coming down, arms locked together. Rin immediately keeps his distance and lowers his cap, making to pick up a few boxes to the side.

“This must be the Makoto-kun and Rin-kun that Akane-chan has told us about,” one of the women mentions to the other. 

“I do believe they are far beyond our age range, sister,” the other blurts out, making the two of them burst into giggles. 

While Rin is unimpressed, Makoto is in his area of specialty. He smiles at the two ladies as they reach the landing and he pulls the door open for them, impeccable smile on his impeccable features. “You must be the Sekihara sisters? Akane-chan mentioned you too! She says that your delicious pies can be smelled all over the building.”

The one with her hair up in a bun pats Makoto’s arm, “Tae-chan here is always improving her baking skills.” At the same time, the other one, with a hat on her head, beams. “Meanwhile, Sae-chan makes absolutely wonderful curry, though it’s too hot to make any lately.”

“Oh? That’s lucky. Makoto’s favourite food is green curry, and he’s not about to pass up any pie, as much as he’ll try denying it,” Rin’s contribution to the conversation, as he steps closer with a few boxes, absolutely thrills the two sisters.

Makoto just about slumps his shoulders in defeat.

“Excellent! We’re on a way to the market to buy some fresh fruit. We’ll get enough for an extra pie, though I don’t think Makoto-kun needs any help in growing any more.” 

As the sisters depart with a promise of pie and perhaps one exception for green curry, Makoto turns, eyebrows raised, to look at Rin.

Rin moves closer and plants a kiss on Makoto’s pouting lips.

“We’ll move the boxes one floor at a time. We’ll do the chairs and mattress last, one big haul for each. I’ll bring the paint up first.”

***

By the time all their belongings had been brought up, it was already close to sundown. Makoto got hungry and consequently grumpy, as was to be expected, and Rin gave him his blessing to go look for some takeout for them to eat.

In the meantime, while he was alone, Rin worked on making a comfortable space in what would be their bedroom by setting down the mattress and arranging blankets on it. He moved most boxes to the centre of the living room area, and tried stacking them together with other related one; kitchenware would go together with cleaning supplies, whereas books and videogames would sit elsewhere.

Makoto walked in on Rin putting masking tape on the lines where walls met the doorframes and around light switches, as a sort of protective barrier.

“We’re painting tonight?”

Burgers and fries, Rin could tell from Makoto’s paper bag. 

“Yeah, thought it would be good to get a start on that. We can’t really set anything anywhere until we’ve cleaned up the walls and changed the flooring,” he stands up and stretches his legs and back, walking over to Makoto and examining the bag for his part of the meal. “We won’t work on the bedroom until we’re done with everything else.” One burger was not enough for someone who works out as much as Rin, but this would have to do for now. 

“Okay. But, remember that Akane-chan invited us to dinner if we wanted to. I think it’d be good to get a break.” 

“Mmm,” Rin’s code for ‘we’ll see,’ and red eyes turned to look up at Makoto’s face. Between a burger and the promise of a proper dinner in about an hour… He returns, casual as ever, to putting his fingers through the loops of Makoto’s jeans again, hands resting comfortably on either side of Makoto’s waist. “First, talk me through your train of thought into thinking these jeans were a good idea.”

“—aren’t they? They’re kind of old and I don’t mind getting them dirty or torn…”

Makoto’s missing the point.

“They’re dangerous, Makoto.”

“Da-dangerous?”

A bite to Makoto’s jawline has him wincing in an unexpectedly arousing way. What Australia failed to provide Rin and Makoto was the benefits of a physical relationship, those moments reserved for whenever one of them paid a plane ticket that was honestly too expensive to make a purchase for twice a year. Rin’s first few days in Tokyo since coming back to Japan included a number of hours dedicated to the two of them learning about each other physically all over again. Rin had needs, as much as Makoto, which was why it wasn’t surprising that Makoto set the paper bag down onto a stack of boxes nearby and put his hands on Rin’s sides, kissing back fervently as his back touched the wall.

They tried to make a quick transition over to the bedroom, but Makoto’s wince made them both stop, his sandy hair stuck on the tape Rin had placed right on the doorframe.

Rin laughed as he fetched his mobile, ready to take a picture, much to Makoto’s chagrin, who tried desperately to get his hair off this predicament with as few consequences as possible.

***

Dinner with Akane and Ryouma was a delightful—but strange—situation.

Akane was a good cook, liking things a bit on the spicier side, but managing to nonetheless concoct a meal that was hearty and delicious. Rin had no problems with the spiciness, though Makoto kept asking for a water refill. Seemingly ignorant to what was happening to her guests, Akane was a huge contrast to her boyfriend (Rin wondered if it wasn’t more likely for them to be married—romantic that he was), who was silent and didn’t even work up a smile, his greeting cold and rather brash when he opened the door for the new neighbours.

Still in his copper uniform, Ryouma was as monotone in every sense of the word—black hair and a white shirt to match his black (and polished) shoes and slacks. The only distinct sense of _life_ in the man were his blue eyes, which had at first given Rin some hope in the visual similarity to Haru, or even Sousuke. But not even Makoto’s sweet and generous personality drove anything out of him.

Funnily enough, Ryouma seemed to be having some trouble handling his spices.

Rin offered to help Ryouma with cleaning up (Makoto and Akane, more tuned with one another, had moved over to the living room, discussing things pertaining the baby she was expecting and such), and it gave Rin the perfect chance to try and strike up some friendly conversation with his new neighbour. 

“You were making an honourable effort not asking for water the way Makoto was. Several years of abuse got your tongue numb, huh?” It was meant to be a humorous jab, perhaps something to bond over, but all Rin got for his efforts was a scoff and not even a glance. 

Rinsing plates was never this awkward.

“—Akane’s mentioned you’re expecting a kid. You know if it’ll be a boy or girl? She seems like she’d be happy with either.”

Ryouma snorted, and finally deigned Rin with a glance.

“Nice try. You should know by now she’s more than taken. Don’t think I’m not keeping an eye on you, young man.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re just a few years older than me— _wait_ , you think I’m—?” _Trying to seduce your girlfriend?_ is the question Rin doesn’t get to finish, a rather loud outburst of laughter coming from the living room. The tension suddenly rises in the kitchen and Ryouma makes a grab for a butter knife. Rin’s eyes widen like saucers, and he follows the copper feeling extremely panicked about the situation.

The scene is Makoto trying to calm Akane down, who is currently unable to stop her laughter, (“Makoto-kun, I’m going to pee myself! That’s too much!”), and Ryouma standing by the door, imposing and threatening, knife at hand, while Rin tries to figure out a way to defend or protect his boyfriend, if need be.

“Oh! Ryouma-kun!” 

Makoto is the first to stand, helping Akane up in the process, seemingly ignorant of the situation at hand.

“Akane-chan was just telling me how you two met—”

“— _Makoto_ , we have to go. To our apartment, sort out the wi-fi and TV cable. Right?”

Rin doesn’t want to find out how dangerous a butter knife could potentially be.

***

Back in their apartment, Makoto bombards Rin with questions to match his confusion. Not only had they rushed out of there—Akane just about managing to give Makoto and Rin each some pastries she had bought earlier in the day in case they got hungry—but Rin had closed and locked their front door, pushing Makoto further inside their new apartment.

“Rin? Rin! What’s the matter? Why did we leave like that?” 

“Her boyfriend or whatever he is, he’s nuts.”

“Because he was brandishing a butter knife?”

“You saw that! —and acted as if nothing weird was going on!”

“Rin, Akane-chan told me, Ryouma’s a heavy smoker. Ever since they found out she’s pregnant four months ago he’s had to stop. Completely. Haru’s dad used to smoke many years ago, but when he stopped he became very grumpy easily,” Makoto tries to placate the tension Rin is feeling, putting away their pastries into the fridge, but it doesn’t seem to work just quite. “He’s just tense about becoming a father, I think.”

“I didn’t know that—and that’s not really comforting. Oi! Makoto! Did you know he thinks I’m trying to seduce his _girlfriend_? Me!”

Apparently the idea is too bizarre for Makoto, who doesn’t hesitate to double over in laughter, and doesn’t stop even as Rin tackles him to the ground, cheeks puffed and pouting, clapping at his boyfriend’s face.

***

A thought strikes Rin late at night, when they’re both trying to fall asleep. For all Rin likes to be physical, he prefers his space in bed, and has further driven Makoto close to the wall in his preference.

Perhaps… Ryouma will see Makoto as his biggest threat to his girlfriend’s heart, now. 

The thought worries him, and he can’t help imagining shadows shaped like an intruder with a butter knife. 

Makoto huffs in surprise, mumbling himself awake as he tries to crane his neck and look back; giving up, he places his hands over the arms wrapped around his middle. He whistles air between his lips, easily falling asleep again.

Rin is not so lucky, as he pulls closer to Makoto and squeezes tight, his face mushed against his boyfriend’s shoulder.

***

They have been working on the apartment for almost four days now.

Makoto feels ever so proud of the work they’ve accomplished so quickly, but has to admit that the place is too small to be considered a time-consuming renovation.

Makoto had spent many studious minutes calculating the flooring in feet and inches, asking Rin for his opinion on where the kitchen would end and the living room area begin. Having a few more days with the rented van, they headed straight to city and made their way to a local supply store, where they got the floorboards they wanted to put in their new home. Rin favoured the faux wood tiles in a darker tone, and Makoto didn’t really mind. They did get ceramic ones for the kitchen section, and they were lucky the bathroom had been recently renovated and had a pretty new granite floor. 

While they were out, they also looked at tiles to replace the old, plastic ones on the kitchen wall and then picked out a few more supplies and food to get them through the week.

Though Makoto was mostly in charge of the labour work of organising their new home and doing a good job at it, Rin was excelling in keeping their expenses within their budget. Their food was cheap, from the local market, and getting lunch delivered by their neighbours was quite advantageous, too.

Makoto—tongue stuck out and held between his lips—frowned at the kitchen wall. He was glueing the ceramic tiles over where their stove was, making careful work of the task. He needed precision so that it would all be straight and fall into place. Rin watched fondly from his perch on a ladder they got out of the storage downstairs, finishing up painting a portion of a wall a calming green.

“Yo, Makoto!”

Makoto’s concentration was broken, but at least he had put the tile in place.

“Come over here.”

Confused by the request but equally curious, Makoto made his way towards Rin, looking a little faint and adjusting his eyes’ depth perception after such a minute task. Rin, never offended by how adorable his boyfriend looks, dazed and confused, presses the rolling brush onto Makoto’s nose, leaving a green line downwards.

“Eh?”

“Back to your station!” arm held high as he delivered his command.

***

They had finished setting their place up in a week and a few days. The apartment came along fine; the paint dried up and the floor tiles added something new to the place, they replaced all the lights with new bulbs, and made their best in cleaning and organising their boxed belongings. Rin’s mother sent them a package by mail over the weekend, with a promise in a letter that she would visit with Makoto’s family soon as the place was suitable for guests. It also had a very fancy, and seemingly expensive, white couch.

It was the little steps towards building their little home together. After the couch came shelves for their books (which Makoto built himself), a corkboard and a whiteboard for little reminders and memories they would like to keep up, a few tables to distribute in their bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room. Curtains followed, the billowy type Rin had pictured when they first walked in (the big windows overlooking the river having the convenience of never being hit directly by the sun). The place wasn’t necessarily full of furniture and artifacts, but it wasn’t bare anymore, and the empty spaces were just an opportunity for Rin and Makoto to fill up with new memories over time. 

Perhaps this place wouldn’t be permanent (as Rin was prone to worry about, when he was in bed the quiet darkness made him wonder if this was a good choice at all), but for however long they would live in it, it was their own. 

Living with the person he loved was the important part.

—a fact he begrudgingly learned from Ryouma.

“Sorry about the other day,” was his once again cold greeting after Rin opened the door to his apartment (with some hesitation) and after handing over two bento product of Akane’s cooking. “As an apology. Where’s Tachibana?”

“Thanks. —he went into town to get familiar with the place. He starts teaching next week.”

The invitation that followed was not one Rin was expecting. He quickly put the bento in the kitchen, walking back to the door and joining the other man outside in the narrow balcony. Ryouma took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and put an unlit one on his lips. Rin leaned against the wall.

“I thought I heard you were trying to quit.”

“Habit dies hard. All I’ve done is gotten rid of the lighters and matches.”

“Still a shitty habit. You could fall for it any time like that. Either eliminate it entirely or not at all,” Rin had gotten over the strange interaction he had first had with Ryouma upon meeting him, but it never meant he wasn’t going to continue speaking up his mind. “Look, you don’t have to come up here and try to play nice if it’s something your girlfriend is forcing you to do. None of us are going to try and steal her away from you, either.”

The balcony allowed for a clear view of the front of the building. There was a large roundabout nearby, and a park that Rin had already tried out for running. It was good neighbourhood, and he knows how lucky they had been that Makoto happened to come into contact with an old family friend. Not many people get these chances.

For some reason, Ryouma refuses to answer Rin’s question. “The only school near here is an elementary school. Tachibana is going to start working there? It’s not that far, just a couple of blocks.”

Rin takes this for what it is; an attempt at a truce.

“Yeah. He’s pretty good at it, and he likes what he’s doing,” it feels uncomfortable to be guarded with other people, especially people he’ll be spending some time of his daily routine with, now, and who actually seem _nice_. “If he gets a good score on his internship he’ll graduate top of his class.” Rin sounds proud, and he makes nothing of the glance the other man throws his way. He’s a cop, so he’s probably used to interrogating others and seeing subtle signs of their behaviour.

“And what about you?”

“I’m not a serial killer who is going to endanger your family’s life. Chill out,” though the scoff is nothing but a gesture of humour, and Rin finally finds it in himself to lean against the balcony, the concrete ledge hard against his forearms. “—I’m… going to train with Japan’s swim team, and get a chance at the Olympics next year. I come from a small town, so with this I’ll put Iwatobi on the map and fulfill a promise.”

It’s never been about bringing fame to Iwatobi, though after moving so much Rin has started to feel pride in coming from that sleepy seaside town, full of wonderful people and memories. His promise, however, is one he reiterated in front of his father’s grave before travelling to Tokyo. 

“How exactly does someone like Makoto meet someone like you? Your paths are different—”

“How does someone like _Akane_ meet someone like _you_? She’s too good for a copper.”

To Rin’s surprise, that draws a harsh laugh from the other. Rin can’t help but grin. This was going somewhere that wasn’t destructive.

“—we’re, both from the same town. Known each other since we were kids and swam in the same swim club, and we kept swimming together in high school, though we were in different teams,” his eyes soften; looking down at the sidewalk, he spots Makoto walking with several bags in tow. Makoto seems to notice eyes on him, for he looks up and starts waving at Rin under the waning sun. Rin waves back, barely containing his excitement at the idea that he can actually greet Makoto home now. 

His words take a quiet tone, as Makoto disappears inside the building. “He’s really too good for me.”

Rin expects Makoto to come up now, so he stands by the door, ready to pull it open. 

“I’m still not sure about having moved here—I’m not a guy who is about settling down to begin with, but I think that as long as I’m with Makoto, it’s more than fine.”

Ryouma headed downstairs back to his apartment before Makoto got all the way up, offering some kind of bullshit, manga deuteragonist who can’t seem to pick up sides but is always there for when the good guys need help commentary. Rin glares at the back of Ryouma’s head and remains that way even after he sees Makoto.

“Rin? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing— did you get _plants_?”

His expression wilts into slack surprise, and Makoto smiles. “I thought they would brighten up the place a little.”

***

It’s the first candlelight date he and Rin spend together, and it’s not quite as planned.

A fuse has blown off and they’re waiting for their landlord to fix the breaker as no one else has the key. Unfortunately, their landlord is on the other side of town currently and is taking his sweet time to come around.

“Not everything could be perfect. It was too good to be true. It’s only fair the landlord is a piece of shit.”

“ _Rin_ , it’s fine. At least Ryouma-kun brought us candles to use.” 

“You _know_ his eye twitches in a scary way when you call him that, don’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, he totally hates it.”

Rin snickers towards his phone, then turns to look up at Makoto. Makoto, who is now acting as a very comfortable couch for Rin, red head against a hard chest. 

“You’re one of a kind, Tachibana. Especially when you screamed and ran into the wall when the lights went out.”

“ _Rin!_ ”

“Come here,” Rin shifts and moves from his position, putting his phone on the floor and now crawling over Makoto. Cheeks flushed, a grin on his face. “Let me make it up to you.”

***

The plants do brighten up the place a lot. Some of the plants have grown into vines, fuschia flowers blooming and falling down the wall outside the window. Makoto likes it a lot, that Rin can pick oregano or basil or romero from their small garden when preparing their meals. He likes it when Rin remembers to water the plants on Sunday mornings, still wearing his sweats and a tanktop, leaning down over the pots and trying to smell the budding flowers.

Makoto likes it a lot, too, when Rin heads out early for his training (before the sun is up) and leaves him a note on the whiteboard, and an insincere apology for taking Makoto’s sweater (his excuse being “I’m late,” but also, completely capable of leaving a message on the board). 

It seems silly, and perhaps one day they’ll get bored of it, but everything seems so new and wonderful. 

Rin is usually home before he ever is, staying behind at school to finish up paperwork and meet with the teacher he is shadowing, so Makoto has had the delight of being the target of Rin’s ‘welcome home’ affections—in the form of hugs, kisses (some leading to bed or the couch, if they’re both feeling particularly frisky), and (Makoto’s secret favourite) Rin napping, completely unawares and exhausted from a long day of training. 

“I want to live with you forever…” Makoto speaks softly into Rin’s hair one night. 

They had bought a bedframe with drawers underneath, a very convenient commodity with practical use. Their friends—Haru, Sousuke, Nagisa, Rei, Gou, even Kisumi—were coming over for a housewarming party the next day. Rin had even invited a select few of his teammates, for his own personal discretion. They had cleaned the place up and prepared the food they’d be offering their guests and were now spent, but Makoto couldn’t get rid of this desperate feeling bubbling in his chest. 

“Rin? Are you awake…?”

“Hm.”

Rin turns, arms over Makoto, and snuggles closer despite breaking his own self-imposed bed rule.

“If you’re having second thoughts, it’s too late. Haru’s going to eat beef and that’s final.”

“No, it’s just…”

Rin opens his eyes and tilts his head up, looking at Makoto, who seems troubled. A shift on the bed, and he moves up, so he can press his forehead against his boyfriend’s. Sandy brown and coral red mix together. Rin’s eyes show worry, and he’s becoming more awake by the minute.

“What’s wrong, Makoto?”

“I love you.”

The windchime over their bedroom window sprigs a tune, as Makoto moves closer and kisses Rin, quiet and soft. Rin’s left with no room but to keep his arm around the other, fingers playing with his boyfriend’s messy hair.

“I know. I love you too.”

Sometimes at night it gets scary, to think about a future that doesn’t involve a completely set path like school and moving on to another grade. Makoto’s at the verge of that, graduating if all goes well in a limited number of months. Rin will, too, at some point start travelling again to swim in competitions, and it feels scary to try and get used to this feeling of _home_ and _belonging_ , if it’s going to be taken away so quickly from them. —but Rin knows what it is that bothers Makoto, even without talking about it out loud. 

“Makoto, I love _you_.”

And it contracts in his chest the same way as when he dives into the water and starves for swimming; when he feels the agitation and anxiety hammering inside him before the whistle blows. 

Words shared one afternoon over an unlit cigarette and an attempted truce come back to him. _You’re both good for each other._ It becomes overwhelming, in a strange sort of way (because Ryouma’s always strange), but in an equally comforting way, that other people can see it, too; that Makoto’s not ‘too good’ for Rin, nor that Rin ‘could do better’ than Makoto—but that they’re both equally on the same ground, and deserving of one another. That they make a great _team_.

“And you’re going to blow everyone away tomorrow after you cook our lunch.”

***

Rin and Makoto’s 4th floor apartment lasted a total of six years before they decided to move. It saw a housewarming party that nearly ended in a small fire, and several of their younger friends crashing for the night without much warning. It saw dinner dates with their (favourite) neighbours, Akane and Ryouma, and a cat they sat for one of Rin’s swimmer friends. It saw Makoto alone, working on his lesson plans and trying to cook himself something other than cup noodle when Rin was travelling for competitions—and even hosted watching said competitions on TV with friends and family, all rooting for the swimmer on lane 7, breaking records and earning medals for Japan. It even saw a baby, Akane and Ryouma’s son, Ken-chan, whom Makoto and Rin attempted to babysit for a few times. A discouraged Gou showed up once, to find comfort in the arms of her brother, after failing a midterm. It even put up with Haru, stinking the place up with the smell of grilled mackerel, and calling dibs on the bed in an attempt to reconnect with his childhood best friend.

But now, there’s something new for them in the horizon.

“The place is empty, right? Oh, we’re leaving the toaster for whoever’s moving in next, but it should be unplugged…”

“Done. Don’t worry, Makoto. I double checked. We got everything in the car that we can take with us, and the rest is already at the airport.”

They had said their goodbyes, as bittersweet as they had been. Ken-chan was now five, the orange tomcat had died a few years back, and the Sekihara sisters had moved elsewhere. Things were different, but it didn’t mean they weren’t looking up.

Boarding the car, Makoto sets the GPS to the airport’s address, and waits for Rin to get in, a final goodbye to the young kid to grow up like his mother, not so much like his father. As soon as the door closed behind Makoto’s co-pilot, their eyes met. Rin placed his right hand over Makoto’s left, a squeeze for encouragement.

“You’re _absolutely_ sure about this?”

Makoto’s smile was full of mirth, as Rin played with the golden ring on Makoto’s hand, a match to the one Rin wore on his left hand. 

“Let’s do it, Rin.”

**Author's Note:**

> who are these people who are not free! canon?? does it matter??? rip


End file.
